Scarred and Broken Hearts
by WarriorArnelle
Summary: HIATUS Ikuto and Amu are finally dating, but they are in a car crash after their first date. Amu and the other driver are killed instantly; Ikuto is badly hurt. He and a gang member named Matsumara Kazumi are brought to the hospital in the same ambulance
1. Chapter 1

ME: Ok, yeah, my first shugo chara fic.... yay...

IKUTO: do i get to be pervy?

ME: Like i could stop you... now get on with the disclaimer!!!!!

IKUTO: *laughs* TwinSwords does not own Shugo Chara! or any related characters, plots, or names. She just wishes she did.

ME: Yeah, i do wish! Now, on to the story!!!!!! if i don't get at least five reviews, i'm not continuing the story!!!!!! RAHR!!!!!!

IKUTO: she's scary...

ME: *angry face* GRAAAAAAWR!!!!!!!! oh, yeah, pairings.... IkutoxOC, and a little Amuto, but mostly in Ikuto's dreams and in the beginning (I couldn't resist my inner Amuto fan) btw, the only reason this isn't amuto is because i wanted to see how Ikuto would respond to someone just as pervy and crazy as he is... yup...

IKUTO: there's other perverts?

ME: Yup.

AMU: Oh, god....

IKUTO: hey, Amu!

ME: I'm gonna turn off the AN and let you get on with the story, for those of you who were nice enough to actually read this insane crap.

Chapter One: Blood Loss

"Ikuto?" Hinamori Amu glanced over at her boyfriend and smiled. Boyfriend… yes, she liked that word. Despite Ikuto's pervy-ness and teasing, she really did love him. Boyfriend suited him perfectly. Her heart skipped a beat as he returned her loving gaze; of course, there was still some of his teasing deep in his midnight-blue eyes. He wouldn't be Tsukiyomi Ikuto without it.

"What, _Amu_?" He laid the stress on her name just to annoy her, she knew it. She tried hard not to respond, but failed.

"Don't call me that," she grumbled at him, once again falling into her "cool and spicy" attitude. Just to be safe. Unfortunately, it only served to amuse him further.

"Oh, but I'm having far too much fun, _Amu._" He took one hand off the wheel to lazily stroke the side of her face. She slapped it away irritably. His teasing smirk returned. "You know you enjoy it."

"Do not." Amu crossed her arms across her chest and glared out the passenger window. She heard Ikuto chuckle and barely managed to repress another growl. After a long moment, she decided to finish her original thought. "I had a good time tonight." She winced, waiting for his teasing response. She turned to look at him, amazed to see he was looking completely serious.

"Me, too." They exchanged a smile then Ikuto turned his eyes back to the road.

Silence reigned for a little while then, "Ikuto?"

"What?"

"Do you love me?" She was astonished at herself. She'd never ask something like that. Unless… She snuck a look in the back; her Charas, Ran, Miki, and Su, and Ikuto's Chara Yoru were still passed out. They'd had just as much fun as she had, it seemed.

Ikuto smirked. He hadn't missed the furtive glance at the Charas. Then she looked back at him, and he realized she was waiting for an answer. He didn't have to think. "Yes."

She touched his hand, which lay on the seat between them and whispered, "I love you, too." Ikuto took his eyes off the road and stared her full in the face.

Headlights filled the scene with harsh brightness. Amu's head whipped around to the windshield. She screamed. Ikuto did the same, minus the screaming. His breath locked as the scene flashed before him with garish detail.

A car was heading straight for them, and there was no time to swerve and avoid it. Right before the car slammed into them, he found his voice. "I love you, Amu!" She just looked at him with tears in her brilliant gold eyes.

The car hit them at sixty-five miles an hour; everything went bright red as Ikuto shut his eyes. Seconds later, the pain hit and then everything went mercifully black.

Kazumi snarled. She'd really wanted to turn this job down. Really wanted. But her little sister, Yui, had another doctor's appointment tomorrow and she had to pay for it somehow. So she'd had to take the job. Besides, the leader of her gang, the Black Wolves, would have been seriously pissed if she hadn't. He wasn't someone she wanted angry at her. She had the feeling he could be worse than her father when he was.

So now, she was on her way into another gang's territory. She pulled her black trench coat closer around her slim, rapier-like frame. Under the coat, her hands checked over her weaponry: small handgun set, switchblade, six-inch-long hunting knife. She could use all of them with deadly precision, but she hated to. If she had to fight, she preferred her own fists. It seemed more honorable that way.

Some time passed as Kazumi slipped from scanty cover to scantier cover. She was nearing the center of this gang's territory, slightly surprised no one had stopped her yet… "Scratch that," she muttered to herself, "there they are."

A group of guys, at least five of them, blocked the way to the gang's hideout. "Crap. Guess I'll be talking to the thugs first." She sauntered over to the group. "Greetings, gents."

"You Matsumara Kazumi?" the largest of the group asked with a definite threat in his tone.

"Depends on who's askin'." Her bravado was completely faked; she could only pray they wouldn't see through her bluff. She was glad her trench covered her shaking legs.

"Suizen said he'd be sending you over to talk." The boy, who had to be at least nineteen, smiled in a way that made her want to forget the job and go home. Only the thought of Yui and her doctors made her stay.

"And?"

"And we decided we don't want to talk." The group had spread while she was distracted by the leader. One of them had made his way behind her; she felt his attack more than anything. She barely managed to dodge, yanking her switchblade and knife from hidden pockets in her trench, throwing the coat off in the same motion. Kazumi realized this was not a fight she could win without weapons.

However, the odds were stacked against her. This wasn't Black Wolf territory; her opponents had the home-field advantage, something they used more than was necessarily fair. She held out for maybe fifteen minutes, but they simply were too many for her one person, even someone with her skills.

A knife cut across her shoulder blades, another down her arm. A gun barked twice, and she felt a sharp pain in her lower back and calf. Kazumi fell with a cry. Immediately, her opponents were on her, beating her mercilessly. The leader watched impassively.

"Be glad I'm feeling merciful, Black Wolf Matsumara Kazumi. Otherwise, I'd be sending you back to Suizen in pieces." His eyes glittered, and he laughed suddenly. "However, Suizen is not going to be happy when he hears of your failure, Wolf."

She answered with a snarl and a wad of spit as close to his feet as she could manage from her position on the ground. All traces of amusement faded from his face. "You will pay for that, Black Wolf, and pay well." He strode over to where she lay in a crumpled, undignified heap. He raised his hand and slapped her across the face hard enough for her to see stars. She went limp. "Someone get her out of here. She's not gonna last long, and I don't want cops swarming this area because of a dead body." Someone gripped her by the arm and dragged her away, ignoring her muffled yelps of protest.

Police sirens went off in the distance. The Dark Moon leader cursed under his breath. "Leave her there; we've got better things to deal with than a half-dead Wolf." The person pulling Kazumi dropped her and ran to join his comrades; all of them fled the scene, leaving Kazumi bleeding in the street.

The sirens sounded closer now, and lights flashed down the alley. "Hey!" a voice called. "We got something here!" Kazumi heard the sound of running and then gentle hands were lifting her from the street. As she was moved, one of her guns clattered to the ground, the Black Wolf insignia blatantly obvious. She felt her rescuer hesitate. "It's a gang member."

"Which gang?"

The man lifted the gun and studied the etching. "Looks like Black Wolf," he called back towards the end of the alley.

"Girl or boy?"

"Girl."

"Bring her. Can't leave anyone out here, even a gang member." Kazumi felt more relief than she could ever let on as her rescuer lifted her again and carried her to the ambulance waiting outside the alley.

Kazumi realized her vision was dimming. Cursing in her mind, she blinked hard, trying to stay awake long enough to see what the paramedics wanted. As she was gently laid onto a stretcher, she took the time to look around her. Anything to stay awake.

"Ikuto-nya… Are you ok-nya?" A strange, slightly high-pitched voice mumbled from somewhere outside her range of vision. She turned her head towards the source and, had she been able, she jumped nearly a foot in the air. A little cat-thing was hovering in the air above the other occupant of the ambulance. "Ikuto-nya?" the creature whined again, dropping to the stretcher and licking the other occupant's face. Kazumi then got a good look at him.

His face was nearly as white as the sheet he was lying on, but that could have to do with blood loss; she could see the sheet slowly turning red in places. His eyes were closed and partially covered by a shock of midnight blue hair. '_Huh… wonder what happened to him… and what _is _that thing? It's cute._' Realizing where that train of thought was taking her, she derailed it with a firm shake of her head.

Her body began reporting its various injuries, and her vision began to dim again. This time she didn't try to fight it. Everything went black and she welcomed it with considerable relief.

AN:

ME: Yay, first chapter done!!!!!!!!!! I hope I get good reviews...

IKUTO: You probably won't.

ME: Ikuto, you're mean!!!!!!!!

IKUTO: just teasing *sticks tongue out*

ME: *beats over the head with dictionary* MEANIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AMU: O.o

IKUTO: X.X

ME: HA! VICTORY IS MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	2. Chapter 2

**ME: hallo again!!!!!!! Soooooo tired…. Blargh… oh, yeah, someone told me to add POV changes whenever it does change, so I'm going to add those in this and the following chapters…. That took waaaaaaaay too much energy to say….**

**IKUTO: get more sleep.**

**ME: wish I could… been up retardedly early for three days in a row, up retardedly late three nights in a row… **

**IKUTO/AMU: that's your problem.**

**ME: thanks.**

**IKUTO/AMU: any time.**

**AMU: wait, did I just say something at the same time as Ikuto?**

**IKUTO: yup. you finally realizing you like me?**

**AMU: eeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????? NO!**

**ME: *ignoring* oh, yeah, i thought i should mention this: long passages in italics are dreams or memories (i'll clarify before a flashback, but there won't be too many of those), short passages or sentences in single quotations are thoughts.**

**IKUTO: *holding Amu in a headlock* she's assuming you're smart enough to know that normal passages are narration and short normal passages or sentences in regular quotations is dialog.**

**ME: be nice to my readers. If you're mean, they won't come back… *to readers* come back, please!!!!!!!! Pwease? And review…. This author looooooooves reviews…. Pweeease?**

**AMU: *hits Ikuto and escapes the headlock* what's with the baby talk?  
ME: I'm tired and a little hyper…**

**IKUTO: we should get on with the disclaimer.**

**ME: … *sigh* probably… I wish I didn't have to…. Oh, well… I'd get copyright issues if I don't…**

**KISEKI: TwinSwords does not own Shugo Chara! Much as she wishes she does.**

**ME/IKUTO: when did the kiddy king's Chara get here?**

**KISEKI: I WILL TAKE OVER THE WOOOOOOOOOOOORLD!!!!!!!!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA………...**

**AMU: O.o *twitch***

**ME: ummmmmmmmm…. Let's just get on with the story, shall we?**

**IKUTO: that would probably be a good idea.**

**KISEKI: ……HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! **

**ME/AMU/IKUTO: *sweatdrop***

Chapter Two: Dreams and Memories

(IKUTO: NARRATIVE POV)

_Ikuto slowly opened his eyes and looked around him. He was sprawled on the ground with Amu's head on his chest, her pink hair loose from its usual clip, falling in soft waves. He watched her for a little while then gently touched the side of her face._

_"Amu?" Her eyes opened slowly and she smiled at him. Or, at least, she smiled with her mouth. Her eyes still looked sad. "What's wrong?" She didn't answer, but rose to a sitting position. Her hand reached out and stroked his brow, which puckered in confusion. "What's-" Even before he finished his question, memory rushed back. He sat up sharply._

_The crash. Had it really happened? "Amu, tell me that was a nightmare." All traces of the smile vanished from her face and she shook her head._

_"No," she whispered. "This is the dream."_

_"WHAT?"_

_"Ikuto… I'm…"_

_"NO!" he snapped vehemently. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't say it."_

_"Denial won't get you very far, Perverted Cat." A ghost of a smile touched her face, and he couldn't help but smirk slightly in response to the nickname._

_The smirk faded as a thought struck him. "When I wake up, you won't be there, will you?"_

_She hesitated then answered softly, "No." She looked like she wanted to say more but wasn't sure if she should. After a moment, she came to a decision. "Now that I'm a spirit, I know a lot of things."_

_"Like what?" he interrupted._

_She smiled. "Like the future."_

_"What?"_

_"Someone else needs you now, Ikuto." She stroked his face with a gossamer touch. _

_One eyebrow rose incredulously. "Someone else?"_

_Her fingers ran down the length of his jaw. "I will always love you, you know."_

_He grasped her hand and held it to his face. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to make a perverted comment. This was too serious for jokes. "I know… but how can I be happy with someone else? I'll always remember you."_

_A little of her old self reasserted itself as she smacked him across the head. "Idiot. You can't keep clinging to me. I'll be nothing more than a Guardian Spirit that Saeki Nobuko keeps rambling on about." She turned serious again. "I'll always be watching over you, Ikuto, but I want you to be happy again. This girl needs you, more than I ever did."_

_"She needs me?"_

_"She needs love. She needs faith. You can give her both." He sighed._

_"I'll try. For you."_

_"Not for me. For her."_

_"For you both."_

_Amu took his face in her hands. "You will come to love her, but don't forget me." She kissed him. He nearly fell over from shock. Amu finally pulled away, her gentle eyes finally smiling. "It's time for you to wake up now, Ikuto. I'll miss you."_

_He felt himself falling, watching Amu become smaller and smaller. Just before she disappeared, he heard her yell after him, "I love you!"_

(KAZUMI: NARRATIVE POV)

Kazumi shifted slightly in her sleep, a quiet mumble sliding through her normally tightly closed lips. After a long moment, she lay still again. The nurse, who up until this point had been bustling around fixing the girl's IV and other things, glanced over at her. Despite the fact that she was a gang member, the woman was honestly worried about her young patient. She was never still for very long.

The nurse finished her check of the room and headed for the door. Just as she reached it, the girl began whispering again. The nurse paused for a moment to listen.

"No… Daddy, don't do that; you'll hurt her… Daddy, stop… You're hurting her… STOP!" The nurse reeled back at the sudden shout. The girl's pulse skyrocketed, her breathing as well; seconds later, they both plummeted to almost nothing. The nurse rushed out, screaming for a doctor.

(IKUTO: NARRATIVE POV)

Ikuto woke to a nurse yelling outside his room. Apparently, one of the other patients was having trouble; all the nurses and doctors were beginning to rush to the room either across the hall or next to his. He wished they'd be quiet.

"Ikuto-nya?" Yoru, his crazy cat Chara, at least had survived the crash.

"Yoru." he breathed, more relieved that his Chara could ever know.

"You're awake-nya!" The little cat Chara bounced up and down in the air in his excitement. "I was worried-nya."

"What happened?"

"The crash-nya? I don't know-nya. All I remember is waking up and Miki and the others fading away-nya," Yoru answered, obviously worried. "Amu didn't make it-nya?"

"No. She didn't." A sense of loss hit him, like a hole had opened in his chest. He would never see her again… Never make his little strawberry blush and screech again. He slowly rolled onto his side, away from Yoru and allowed himself this moment of weakness.

He cried. He hadn't cried in years, but Amu was worth a few tears from him. Her brightness, her life. She didn't deserve to die. '_Amu. How can I do what you asked of me? How can I love anyone else when my heart is in pieces. No one could heal it now. Not anymore._' A few more tears wormed their way down his face; this time, they were for his own broken heart.

Yoru watched him, then decided to go exploring, leaving Ikuto alone for a time, to regain his composure. He slipped out of Ikuto's room and into the one across the hall, the one all the noise was coming from.

"Wonder what's going on-nya." He floated closer to the bed, weaving between nurses and a doctor. "Huh?" His golden eyes widened as he finally saw what all the fuss was about.

A girl lay on the bed, an odd expression on her face. Yoru, trusting that none of the people could see him, hovered over the girl's face. Wine red bangs covered her eyes, but he could tell she was asleep. "Just like Ikuto-nya." He looked over at the doctor, trying to figure out what had brought him and all the nurses in here so suddenly.

"- and have her monitored at all times. We don't want a repeat of today if we can help it. We were lucky to bring her back this time," the man was saying.

"Bring her back-nya? Was she dead-nya?" True, when he looked back at the girl, she did look a little pale, but he'd thought that was normal. After a moment, he began to study her more closely. She had cuts and other lacerations all over her face; one eye seemed to be swollen shut, a brilliant sunrise around it. He couldn't see anything else, but he could tell from the abnormal lumps under the blankets that she had large amounts of bandaging or a cast around one arm and a leg. "I hope she'll be ok-nya."

As if in response, the doctor announced his belief that the girl would make a full, if slow, recovery. All the nurses looked relieved to hear that, and they began to drift back to their rounds in clumps. Yoru decided it was time to head back to Ikuto.

He flew back to his friend's room, looking backwards the whole way.

(KAZUMI: NARRATIVE/ POV)

_Kazumi groaned. Her entire body hurt, but not from her fight injuries. The back of her head felt like her scalp was being peeled back, her legs were like rubber, and her arm was screaming in pain. When she looked at it, she saw that it was bent in an unnatural position in two places. A bit of bone protruded from her arm; blood dripped from the spot. She felt her mouth open, felt the breath rush out, but no sound was made._

_A voice spoke from behind her. "You two aren't worth all the trouble you give me. I should just get rid of you." A hand descended across the back of her head, sending another wave of pain across her entire body. Again, she screamed soundlessly._

_She knew what this was. Back when she was twelve, her father had come home completely drunk. He'd grabbed her then-five-year-old sister, Yui, and tied her up. He'd tried to do the same to Kazumi, but she'd fought back. He'd simply beat her nearly unconscious, then turned to beat her sister with a broke beer bottle. Kazumi remembered begging her father to stop._

_"No… Daddy, don't do that; you're hurting her… STOP!" she had screamed. Her father had then broken her arm and beat her again, telling her and her Yui that they were worthless and that he blamed Yui for her mother's death._

_Their mother had died in childbirth when Yui was born; Yui herself had nearly died. Unfortunately, their father didn't remember that part, only knowing that the baby girl's mother was dead and she alive. It was then that he'd started drinking._

_Her father was yelling again, in her memory. "You little brats. Why do I still have you? Why won't you just go away, so I don't have to see you?"_

_It was then that the idea of running away and buying an apartment of her own was born. After that night, she'd quit school and started working two part-time jobs. Three years later, she gave a down payment to her landlord and moved in with her sister. They'd been there ever since._

_The memory of the beating faded as she thought of Yui… how was she going to explain this? She'd been lying to Yui for two years; about the injuries, about one of her three jobs. Yui didn't know her big sister was in a gang. Kazumi knew she had to come clean, knew it had to happen soon._

_Slowly, her thoughts wound down, and she felt herself waking._

(END DREAM)

Kazumi opened one eye the slammed it shut; the light in the room was blinding compared to the dark, muddled world of her dreams. She heard a small groan escape her throat.

"Oh, sorry, is it too bright?" a bright, happy voice asked. The lights dimmed and Kazumi could open her eye; the other was swollen shut. A woman in a nurse's uniform stood next to her, studying her with concern. "I'm glad you're finally awake. Are you feeling any better?"

Kazumi could have laughed. In fact, she almost did. How could she feel better? She'd just spend God knew how long reliving one of her worst beatings, waking to feel all of her fight injuries. "Not particularly." Her voice didn't invite further conversation, but the woman obviously didn't know when to leave someone alone. She continued to ramble on as she flitted about the room, either not noticing or ignoring Kazumi's stony silence.

"I promised the doctor I'd let him know when you woke up. Wait right there; I'll bring him."

"Wait, IT'S A HIM! Wait!" Too late. The nurse had already left. Kazumi groaned. She hated men. Didn't trust them either. After her father… and _him_… she couldn't like or trust them. She'd been betrayed too many times for that.

The door opened and the doctor breezed in.

**AN: **

**ME: yay, another chapter done. And, yay, a cliffy…**

**IKUTO: twinswords loves writing cliffys. She hates reading them, though…**

**AMU: go figure.**

**ME: hey, if you two keep that up, Amu won't show up in your dreams again, Ikuto.**

**IKUTO: *sad face* don't do that… that would be really mean. And do I get to be pervy later?**

**ME: yup. After you finish angsting. You and Kazumi, fun times… I actually feel bad for you…**

**IKUTO: What? *shivers* angst…. Wait, what do you mean, "actually"?**

**ME: I almost never feel bad for the angsty characters. I'm always laughing at them.**

**AMU: that's mean.**

**ME: so? It's funny.**

**IKUTO/AMU: *sigh***

**ME: review please. that little button on the bottom of the screen is your friend. Click it and make this author very, very happy…. And maybe she'll update soon if you do… oh, by the way, I'm gonna be out of town from Saturday to I think Sunday. During that time, I won't have access to any computers.**

**IKUTO: this makes her depressed.**

**ME: yes, it does. Anyway, I won't be able to update for a while…. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, I'm done…. This is TwinSwords signing off!**

**IKUTO/AMU: bye!!!!!!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**ME: yay, I'm back …. So tired though…. Blargh… sorry for the ridiculously long wait…. Been reeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaly busy…. Bleck... *stumbles* … *falls* **

**IKUTO: *looks me in face* why're you tired? You've actually been sleeping…**

**ME: *glare* *jumps up* you try keeping fourteen second graders in line for four hours for a week…. Let me tell you, it's not fun. And then going on a mission trip for a week…. That was fun, but it's left me with next to no energy…**

**IKUTO: *shiver* yeah… ok, I agree with the "bleck" statement.**

**ME: *grins* **

**AMU: so yeah, what do we do now?**

**ME: no clue.**

**IKUTO: probably get on with the disclaimer….**

**ME: yeah…. Unfortunately, Shugo Chara! does not belong to me. It belongs to Peach-Pit, lucky people that they are… *sigh***

**IKUTO/AMU: DON'T GET DEPRESSED!!!!!! YOU STILL HAVE TO WRITE!!!!!!!!**

**ME: yeah… I do, don't I?**

**SU: yes you do-desu.**

**ME: *shock* when did you get here?**

**SU: *disappears***

**ME: Huh?**

**IKUTO/AMU: *ignoring***

**ME: oh, well…. One of those unsolvable mysteries I guess… On vith ze story! (random Russian accent… been watching too much Star Trek… I'm such a Trekkie… I've seen the movie three, no four, times…. And I bought the soundtrack today… Yay for me.)**

Chapter Three: New Faces

(KAZUMI NARRATIVE POV)

Kazumi glared at the man as he breezed through the door like she wanted him there, which she didn't, and resolved to ignore him. He stopped and eyed her warily; he'd noticed the expression on her face. After a long moment and a violent stare-down, he relaxed and his smile reappeared.

"So, you're out mystery patient." He paused, obviously waiting for her to say something. She simply turned away. He sighed, but kept up his bright, if useless, chatter. "My name's Hiraga Tadasuke. What should I call you?"

She realized she would have to give him some form of name whether she wanted to or not. Kazumi thought for a long moment then decided to give him her gang name. "Yume." Her voice didn't inspire further conversation, but, again, Hiraga Tadasuke didn't appear to notice or care.

"You know, Yume, you are extremely lucky to be here right now." Kazumi turned to look at him with one eyebrow raised. Her question was evident in her eyes. "Yes, lucky. In fact, we were worried we would lose you just now. To be honest, I'm surprised you're awake already. It's only been three hours."

She realized she needed to ask him something. Again, her voice came out harsh and cold. "What happened?"

He ignored the frostiness of her tone and answered, "Your heart rate and breathing skyrocketed and then both nearly stopped. In fact," here he paused and flipped through the clipboard he held, "according to the charts, your heart did stop for a few minutes there."

Her other eyebrow rose to join the first. She remembered her dream. After her father had finished… she had nearly died. Her body had gone into shock and she'd barely come out of it. Apparently, just remembering that night was enough to send her into shock again. Kazumi shuddered. Then again, it would also explain her quick recovery. She had woken just hours later, completely recovered. Her body was simply remembering the experience.

Hiraga was still talking. "…I'm pleased to report that, despite the severity of several of your injuries, I think you'll make a full recovery. It will take a fair amount of time, so be patient.

'_Patient? This man wants me to be patient? Yui's waiting for me to come home! I can't stay here and leave her alone! She has a doctor's appointment!_' Kazumi's eyes snapped with fury. "I won't."

The doctor, who was in the middle of checking the instruments that, she assumed, measured her heart rate and breathing, turned to study her. "Won't what?"

"Won't wait. There are too many things I need to do. I can't… won't stay here, looked after by a MAN!" On the last work, whatever of her composure had remained went out the window; her sentence ended in a furious shout.

"You don't like men." It wasn't a question, but the concern and puzzlement on his face were impossible to miss.

"I don't trust you." Her voice was colder than ever, while her eyes fairly burned with fury.

"Me personally?"

"You and all men."

Their conversation was cut short by a young nurse's argumentative voice. "You can't go in there right now; the doctor's with her!"

"Does it look like I care, madam?" The answering voice was nearly monotone, with a hint of sarcasm on the "madam."

"No, but I can't allow you in there right now!"

"Too bad." The door to Kazumi's room burst open, revealing a black-haired young man with startling grey eyes. "Yume, what the hell were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed!" he nearly yelled.

Kazumi blinked. "Suizen?" While she was in shock, Hiraga snuck out the door, not sparing the larger, younger man a second glance. He was ignored in return.

The young man in question sighed, rolled his eye and snarled, "Who else? Seriously, how could you be so careless?" His tone pulled up Kazumi's defensive side.

"Hey, I held out for a good fifteen minutes, Suizen. I don't know why you're complaining."

"I need you out there, Yume. You're the only reason the gang wars haven't started up again."

Kazumi stared at him. "How can you talk like that? The doctor's…"

"Not here." He smirked at her. "He left to give us some 'private time', I think." Suizen plunked down on the edge of her bed, still smirking.

"Why are you here, Boss?" She was still defensive, waiting for the tongue-lashing that would ensue for not finishing her job.

"Four reasons. One: to yell at you. I've already done that."

"That was it?"

"Don't interrupt. I might go back to the yelling later. Two: to give this back." He reached into the bag that had been slung over his shoulder and pulled out her trench coat. Without warning, he tossed it at her; she barely managed to catch it with her good arm. "Three: to inform you that one of my agents is going to get your sister to her appointment. She'll come clean with her."

"WHAT? WHY?"

"Don't yell at me, kid. I'm your boss. Besides, you knew you would have to come clean eventually. I'm just speeding things up a little. Don't be angry, Yume, this is for your own good," he added to the glaring Kazumi.

Her answer was colder than any she'd given to the doctor. "Like you would know. You're the one that sends me in, for crying out loud! And your telling me that coming clean with _my_ little sister is for my own good!" She turned away, hiding the tears of rage that filled her eyes. "Some nerve you've got, Suizen."

"Well, that's the fourth thing." She interrupted with a growl. He sighed again and continued, "Reason number four: to apologize."

Kazumi cut off mid-growl and turned to stare at him. "Apologize? What in all hells for?"

"You were right, Yume. I shouldn't have sent you in there alone. I thought that a bigger group would attract more, unwanted attention. It never occurred to me that they wouldn't want to talk. I should have thought things out. For that, I'm sorry." He really looked it, too, Kazumi thought. Suizen, aside from being the leader of one of the toughest gangs in Tokyo, was a decent guy. He was one of the few she trusted to any extent. However, she still doubted his intentions.

"You want me for another job?"

He didn't answer that for a long time. Kazumi was growing impatient when he finally answered. "I will eventually, but it probably won't be out in the field." She raised an eyebrow at him again. "I can't afford to lose you, Yume. You're the peacemaker for the Wolves. Without you, the streets would be a lot nastier after dark."

"They'd be nasty anyway."

"Well, duh, but there's no need for them to be nastier than they need to be. That's your job, Yume. I'll keep you on for office work, but no more meetings if I have anything to say about it."

"Yeah, whatever. Are you done?" She was still angry at him for the coming clean bit with Yui. Suizen noticed and decided they could talk later.

"I'm done." He rose, swinging his pack over his shoulder. "I'll come see you again later. Maybe I'll bring Yui with me." He ducked out the door as she threw a pillow at him. "See ya!" he called happily.

(YORU: NARRATIVE POV)

Yoru slipped out the door of Ikuto's room, ready for another adventure. The doctor had come in a little while ago, but so far had had no luck in getting Ikuto to talk. He hadn't moved since Yoru had left him the first time, and the cat Chara was concerned. He needed to get away for a little while.

Once again, he found himself drawn to the room across the hall. This time, however the door was closed and he heard voices. A girl's voice was speaking, but the words were indistinct. A moment later, a male voice responded. Yoru strained to hear what they were saying, but the door was too thick; it was impossible to hear more than indistinct rumblings, if that. He sighed.

"I wanna know what's going on-nya. Ikuto's being boring-nya," he complained to himself. A split second later, he squeaked loudly as the door flew open and squished him against the wall. He heard a happy, bright voice calling, "See ya!" and an annoyed snarl coming from the room. Yoru grumbled about uncaring humans and squeezed out from behind the door. He peeked into the girl's room to see her glaring at the wall.

"Huh. Wonder what's wrong-nya?"

The girl blinked and looked over at him. Yoru squeaked and hid behind the door frame. He could hear the girl's smile when she called, "It's ok, little thing. I won't do anything." Warily he peered out from behind the frame.

"Promise-nya?" She held up a pinkie.

"Promise." Yoru slowly made his way over to her bed.

"Who're you-nya?" He sensed her hesitation, not knowing that she was debating whether or not to give him her real name. After a long moment, she answered.

"Kazumi. Matsumara Kazumi."

Yoru blinked, happy to have been trusted with her full name. "I'm Yoru-nya."

"Yoru. I saw you in the ambulance, I think. You were with a boy." She paused, trying to remember the boy's name; it came a moment later. "Ikuto, right?"

The creature's eyes went sad. "Yeah-nya. He's in trouble-nya."

"Like my kind of trouble?"

"Uh-uh. His girlfriend died, and I think he's depressed-nya," Yoru responded, his concern obvious in his squeaky voice and golden eyes. "I don't know if the doctor's going to be able to help him-nya."

"That's not good. Which doctor does he have?"

Yoru's face squinted as he tried to remember. It lit up a moment later as the name came back. "Hiraga-nya. His name was Hiraga-nya."

"That's the name of my doctor as well," Kazumi said, startled. "Huh. Who'd o' thunk it?"

"Huh?"

"'Who'd've' thought of that? more or less."

"Oh."

"By the way, I've been trying to figure out what you are. Not to seem rude, but what are you?"

Yoru looked shocked. "You don't know-nya?"

"Would I have asked if I did?" she grumbled back irritably.

"Well, no-nya." He paused, thinking. "I'm a Shugo Chara."

"Shugo… Chara? What's a shugo chara?

He sighed. "A would-be self-nya. We're what you wish to be, or simple a representation of your true self-nya. I represent Ikuto's desire to be more kidlike, not as serious as he is-nya."

Kazumi considered this. "So, if I wanted to be more peaceful, less violent, a Chara would represent that?"

"Yup."

"Where do you guys spring from? How're you born?"

"We hatch."

She hesitated for as second, not sure if she'd caught that correctly. "Wait. Rewind. What? Hatch?"

"Yeah-nya. We're born from eggs-nya. Most people are surprised to find us-nya."

Kazumi couldn't help but laugh a bit at that. "I would think so, especially if you're a guy."

"Ikuto was really surprised-nya. His face was funny-nya." Yoru laughed outright at the memory. After a moment, thought, he stopped and the concerned look returned to his face. "When you're better, maybe you'll come talk to him?"

She was hesitant to answer. Yoru was ok, mainly because he wasn't human. Suizen was ok because he was her gang boss with no romantic interest. Kazumi wasn't sure if she could handle another male friendship, with their potential for betrayal and pain. "I'm not sure I should, Yoru."

"Why not-nya?" he asked, annoyed.

"I… I can't trust human guys," she whispered. "They've betrayed me too many times for that."

Yoru sighed. "Could you at least try-nya? Maybe he'll make you better-nya!" He practically bounced in the air at the idea. "And maybe you can make him better-nya!" He chuckled madly at a sudden thought. '_Maybe they'll fall in love-nya! Nya-nya! That'd be great-nya!_'

Kazumi sighed. The little thing… Chara… sure was persistent. "I can't make any promises, but… I'll try, Yoru. For you."

"Not for me-nya. For him-nya." He sounded very sure of himself in that statement.

"For the both of you. It sounds like you care about him a lot, and if I can make both you and your friend better by trying, then I'll try."

"OK." On a sudden impulse, Yoru flew up to her face and licked her cheek. "Thanks-nya!" He turned and flew out the door, leaving Kazumi with a great deal to think about.

**ME: yay, another chappy done. And yet another cliffhanger. I just adore writing cliffhangers… I'm so evil.**

**IKUTO: yes, you are. I'm depressed. Why? Why did you do that to me?**

**ME: coz I felt like being really mean to you. Don't worry, you'll get back to your old pervy self eventually.**

**IKUTO: yay. That makes me happy.**

**AMU: it shouldn't, you perverted cat.**

**IKUTO: you do realize that's not an insult, right?**

**AMU/IKUTO: *bicker* *squabble***

**ME: btw, a good friend of mine is having some issues lately. I ask for prayers and good wishes on her and her family. She needs and deserves them.**

**IKUTO: you done being serious?**

**ME: hey, she's really important to me. We're like sisters, so shut up, perv.**

**AMU: you see?**

**ME: well, I'm a band kid, so his pervertedness doesn't bother me as much as it does you.**

**IKUTO: she is done being serious. But still, her friend needs everything good you can send her (wishes, hopes, etc.)**

**ME: thanks, everybody! I'm going to pass out, so I'm gonna go!!!!! (sorry for the late update, again!!!) This is TwinSwords signing off!!!**

**IKUTO/AMU: bye-bye!**

**YORU: buh-bye-nya!**


	4. Chapter 4

**ME: hallo everyone! Miss me?**

**IKUTO: twinswords is VERY sorry for not updating for forever… writer's block hit…**

**ME: ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, writer's block, I hate writer's block… ANYWAY, I'm not gonna bother with a long AN this time, so… Tadagay, do the disclaimer!**

**TADAGAY: why me? Make ikuto do it.**

**ME: but he's already done it like, three times…**

**TADAGAY: fine…. TwinSwords does not own Shugo Chara! Or any of the related names, titles, or plot.**

**KISEKI: she does however own all original characters, so….**

**ME: steal and I shall be most displeased…. AND YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE ME DISPLEASED!**

(KAZUMI, NARRATIVE POV)

Kazumi sighed. That darn little persistent creature. She wasn't at all sure how she was supposed to help this other guy when she probably wouldn't be able to trust him enough to stay in the same room. What was the little nut expecting? A miracle?

Matsumara Kazumi was not a miracle worker. If she was, Yui would be healthy, her mother would still be alive, and her father wouldn't be an abusive alcoholic. If she was a miracle worker, her life would be a heck of a lot better than it was. She'd probably still be at home, for one thing, and would probably have a decent relationship. At this point, thought, she couldn't trust guys or men, had been in far too many fights to count, and had nearly been killed at least twice. Her faith in humanity and all its goodness had died when her spirit had five years ago.

As Kazumi lay there, thinking, the door opened again; she slowly raised her head, hoping to see the little Chara-thing, to no avail. It was that doctor. Hiraga. Why couldn't they give her a female doctor? She'd be more willing to talk, or even be nice at all, around a woman. Men… Men made her clam up harder than an oyster protecting its pearls, and faster. Men made her want to curl up into a little ball and hide for the rest of eternity. Men did not mean safety.

What on earth was that little critter thinking? She was of no use to his friend. She was of no use to anyone, really, except her sister. Yui needed her, but no one else did. Suizen said he did, but… he could always find someone else to do her job if he did lose her. She knew that, had come to terms with it a long time ago. She was willing to do whatever it took to keep her baby sister safe and as healthy as she could manage. That was all she was good for.

"So," Hiraga said, "why didn't you tell me your real name?" Kazumi's eyes widened, and a small squeak slipped past previously clenched lips. How had he found out?

"How'd you know?" she asked sharply, Yume coming out full force. Kazumi's gang persona was totally different from her regular persona. Yume, the name given to her by Suizen, was a hard, egotistical girl who knew how the streets worked. Fight and kill or be killed or left for dead.

"The boy who came to visit told me." She hissed in anger at that. Suizen… He knew how much this would bother her. Was he _trying_ to lose her trust, after the years he'd spent trying to gain it? Hiraga continued to talk, ignoring her icy glower. "Your real name is Matsumara Kazumi, is it not?"

"Depends on who's askin'." Kazumi cursed in her head. Alienating the doctor who was treating her, even if he was male, was not a good plan. Being cold was one thing; being downright rude, another. Yume needed to be shelved, quickly. She closed her eyes, fighting to shove her gang persona back where she belonged when Kazumi was in the day world.

"As your doctor, I have a right to know who you are, Kazumi."

"Don't use that name!" she snapped, fear taking over for Yume. "There's a reason I didn't tell you that name!"

"What is that reason?" he asked calmly, his eyes on hers. Should she tell him? Probably. Did she trust him enough to know? Not at all.

"Not telling." Her fear was still talking, making her voice cold, harsh. Hiraga sighed.

"It'd be easier if you just told me. I don't want to have to go to the courts to get them to tell me. You're underage; I can legally do that." His eyes stayed glued to hers. "I can get your family involved."

"NO!" He reeled back at her yell, surprised by the sudden strength of her voice.

"Why not?"

"Don't go to my father, please, don't go to my father," she whispered, ignoring or not hearing his question. Hiraga slowly moved forwards to sit in the chair at her bedside. Kazumi slid away from him a little, fearing his closeness. He noticed and pulled the chair back until she relaxed again.

"Why not?" he asked again, his voice gentle.

"S'not safe. Not for me, not for-" her voice shut off suddenly, her eyes widening fear. "Not for me."

"Why isn't it safe for us to contact him?"

"I've been avoiding him for five years. He… he almost killed me once." Kazumi cursed in her head again; this honesty was going to cause problems later. "Forget I said that."

Hiraga shook his head. "I can't, not if it's true."

"Please," she whispered, hating the weakness in her voice. "Just… Forget it. It's not important." She heard him sigh as she turned her back to him painfully.

"All right, for now." He shifted; she heard the rustle of clothes and hoped he was leaving. When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she twitched; he hadn't left. He'd come closer. She twitched away from him hard enough to cause pain to through her body. The gunshot wounds in her back and leg spasmed, and her whole body tensed, a small cry slipping out before she could stop it. Hiraga's hand left her shoulder, but she couldn't relax. He'd broken her boundaries by touching her. She wouldn't, couldn't feel completely comfortable around him now. "Matsumara?" She didn't answer. "I'm sorry, but…" he paused; when he spoke again, his voice was strictly clinical. "The bullets in your back and leg have to come out. Surgery will be tomorrow morning, so try to get as much water and food today as possible, as you won't be able to eat much before the surgery at all. The wounds across your back and arm need stitches, so we'll do those at the same time."

She didn't respond. All this she'd already figured. She stayed still as he continued. "Everything else, we'll just keep clean to avoid infection. We'll also keep you on an IV antibiotic for a while after surgery to keep any infection from getting in the surgery areas." She heard him moving towards the door. "Take care of yourself, and I'll see you tomorrow." Kazumi stayed silent until she was sure he was gone before allowing herself to relax and think about tomorrow.

"Crap."

(IKUTO, NARRATIVE POV)

Ikuto was dreaming again, sleeping peacefully. Hiraga felt bad for waking him; no doubt he was dreaming of his girlfriend. Two days since the accident that had taken both her and the driver of the car that had hit them, and the boy still hadn't said a word to him. He sighed, but gently shook the boy's shoulder.

"Ikuto?"

"Mmm?" he murmured. "Five more minutes…" his voice trailed off as he fell back asleep.

"Wake up, I need to talk to you." He was more insistent now.

"Fine…" Slowly, the boy's indigo eyes opened, and he stared groggily up at his doctor. "What do you want?"

"Needed to check some stuff. Your name's Tsukiyomi Ikuto, right?"

"Yes." His eyes were distant, watching Yoru float back in from outside. He'd been wandering a lot lately, and Ikuto wanted to know why. "Why?"

"So we can let your family know you're all right."

"Oh." It wasn't like they'd care. His mother had practically sold his and his sister Utau to their stepfather's company, to work for him. As soon as he was out of here, he'd be back doing what he hated. Working for Easter. His stepfather wouldn't care. His mother wouldn't care. Utau would, but the life of a singer would keep her too busy to come visit him, no doubt. He sighed, ignoring the doctor's questioning look. "Is that all you wanted?"

"A couple more things. How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Do you remember anything specific about the man driving the car that hit you?"

Ikuto shook his head. "All I remember is headlights, then nothing."

"All right. I'll have a nurse come in and check on you in a few hours. Take care of yourself." Hiraga smiled at him, but Ikuto couldn't make himself smile back. He just rolled over and faced the wall, waiting for the sound of the door closing before calling to his Chara.

"Yoru?"

"Yeah-nya?"

"Where've you been going?"

"Huh?"

"You've been exploring a lot. What've you found?"

"OH-nya!" Yoru bounced in the air happily. "A new friend-nya!"

"Oh? Who is this new friend?" Ikuto asked, not entirely happy with the idea of his Chara wandering around. Someone could hurt him, maybe even this "new friend" of his.

"The girl across the hall-nya. She's, um, she's…" Yoru trailed off; if he'd been human, he would have been blushing.

"She's what?"

"She's… cool-nya!" Yoru burst out. "She reminds me of you-nya!"

'_Me_?' Ikuto thought, watching Yoru dance around the room, lost in his own world.

"Oh, yeah!" Yoru flew to Ikuto's face and hovered in front of him. "She needs you-nya." Oddly enough, Ikuto's normally bouncy Chara was being entirely serious.

"Needs me?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Why?"

"I don't know-nya! She just does-nya!" Yoru whined.

"I don't…" Ikuto trailed off as he remembered his dream of Amu. The one where she told him of the girl that needed him. "Did you ask her to help me?"

"Um." Just that told Ikuto that Yoru had. He sighed.

"I don't need help, Yoru."

"Yes you do-nya!" Little cat paws waved around erratically as Yoru tried to prove his point. "You've been all sad for days-nya! She can make you happy-nya!"

"What if I don't want to be happy, Yoru?" Ikuto hated the sudden softness, the weakness in his tone.

"You want to be happy! Nya-nya!" Yoru flipped over and waved his tail at Ikuto. "She can help you and you can help her! Try, try-nya!"

"Fine, Yoru, fine. I'll help her. Or try, at least. But I need to know what I'm helping her with."

"Trust-nya." Ikuto blinked. Amu had said the girl he needed to help needed trust and faith, and love. And that he could give her all three.

"God, Amu…" He felt strong all of a sudden, as though saying her name had given him her strength. "Why did you give me such a hard job to do?" he whispered, fearing what the future would bring him.

**ME: so, there y'all go! I apologize again for letting this story die for so long… I'm such a horrible authoress…..**

**IKUTO: yes, yes you are.**

**ME: MEANIE! *beats over head with dictionary***

**IKUTO: owwww!**

**ME: you deserve it!**

**IKUTO: …**

**ME: anyway, so, hit he little green button at the bottom of the screen and make me happy so I'll stop beating Ikuto!**

**IKUTO: please!**


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